Conveyer mechanism



May 12;-1942. B. F. FITCH l 2,282,353

CONVEYER MECHANISM Filed Aug. 2, 1940 A TTOIZNEYS Patented May 12, 1942 anni UNITED ermee rari-:Nrn omer 2,282,353 r CONVEYER argentinien/r Benjamin F. Fitch, Greenwich, Conn., assignor to National Fitch Corporation, New York; N. Y., a corporation of Delaware v Application August 2, ldt), Serial No. 349,700

9 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial No. 329,377, led April l2, 1940, for a Freight handling appaa ratus. 'Ihe invention of the present application relates to a system of transferring freight by` 5 means of containers carrying the freight, and chain conveyers having lugs adapted to engage the container so that the chain may propel the container, While the container is supported independently of the chain. la

and the corresponding portion of the chain, sowl that an ordinary lug might slip free from th" container, thus preventing the propelling action or reducing its efficiency.

The object of my invention is to provide lugs on the chain so formed and so engaged to theo container so that the lug will not tip, but Willi" maintain a continuous driving engagement with the container even though there is a heavy lateral stress on the lug.

More particularly, in my invention I provide 25 the container, the pair of parallel skid rails on its base, whileV the support along which it is to be skidded is provided with a pair of upwardly facing guiding channels for the skid rails. There are preferably two parallel endless chains operat-l 3;)

ing in vertical planes, the upper reaches of these chains being suitably supported to prevent the chain sagging. The chains are provided with lugs which extend in a direction which is upward from the upper reach of the chain, andl such ,35

chain lugs at some distance above the chain proper, coact with downwardly extending lugs on the container.

Now when such a chain moves horizontally,

with the vertical face of its lug engaging a ver-vr i0 tical face of the container lug, it is obvious4` that the chain tends to pull the bottom of the chain lug in one direction, whereas the resistance of the container lug of the upper portion of the chain lug tends to resist its movement, so thatr 45 the forces form a couple tending to rotate the lug about an intermediate horizontal axis. To prevent such rotating I form the lugs in a manner to engage the chain for a considerable extent and further in a manner to not only engage 50 the vertical surface of the container lug, but also the under horizontal surface of such lug.

The extended engagement of the chain lug with the chain links distributes the tipping stress along the chain, and the engagement of the 55 01. ies-irs) upper surface of the lug with the horizontal bottom of the container lug prevents any lifting of the lugy (due to the weight of the container and its load) and thus the tendency of theV lug to Atip is entirely overcome and an effective engagement'with the container is maintained.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and is hereinafter more fully described, arid the essential novel features are set out in the claims'.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevation of a portion of my chain conveyer mounted on a platform and a portion of a container resting on that platform in cooperation with a lug on the chain; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan of the parts shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the chain and its lug coacting with a lug on the container; Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the chain and a portion of the container, as indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 3.

As shown in the drawing, IE) indicates a suitable platform and 29 a container adapted to be propelled over the plat/form, the platform is shown as provided with a pair of upwardly facing channels Il and the container with a pair of skid rails`2| on its underside adapted to occupy i the channels. The container is accordingly supported directly on the platform by means of its skid rails.

To propel the container across the platform, I provide a pair of endless chains 30, each located in a vertical plane, these chains being looped about sprockets, one of which is shown at 3| in Fig. l, and may serve to drive the chain. Suitable rigid supports are provided on the platform for the chain. For this purpose, I have shown a pair of parallel channels l5 on the bases of which are supporting bars I6 which support and guide the chain. f

The chain is of the roller type and comprises two side strands, each strand composed of inner links 3i and outer links 32 and transverse pins 33 which form the pivots for the links of both strands of the chain. Surrounding the pivot pins 33 are rollers 34 which rest on the supporting bars I As the driving sprocket rotates, the chain is `accordingly propelled, carrying its upward reach lengthwise of the supporting bar I6 with the rollers 34 rolling onto such bar.

At separated equi-distant regions of the chain, I provide special outer links 35 which in the body of the link are formed like the links 32 and take the place of them, but also have portions extending at right angles to the body of the link. 'Ihese portions accordingly project upwardly on the upper reach of the chain and provide a pair of opposed parallel :dat bars 36. These bars carry specially formed lugs about to be described.

The lugs of this invention, designated 40 `are blocks having grooves in their opposite sides in which are snugly tted the bars 36 and the bars and blocks are secured together by a rivet 4l. The block extends in opposite directions from the attached portion in the form ofr two wings 42, the under surface of which is concaved in one direction adjacent the bars 36 as indicated at 43 and in another direction near the end of the wing as indicated at 44. The two curved faces 43 and 44 on the undersidev of the block are of the same curvature as that of the inner links 3l where they extend around the pivot pins, with the result that the block is not only carried by two outer links but rests on the shoulders of four inner links, that is the two inner linksy pivoted to such attaching link in each strandvof the f chain.

The construction described makes a very effective engagement with a considerable longitudinal region of the chain, and prevents tipping of the block independently of such chain region, while in operation the chain links and the ends of the loop are free to bend away from the block, as the chain passes around the sprocket wheel.

`Due to the tautness of the chain, it would `re quire considerable stress against the upper portion of the block 46 to tip that portion of the chain which it engages, but such tipping might take place to the extent allowedfby the Vchain if there were only an engagement of the vertical face of the block with the vertical` face of 'the container lug which it engages. 'To prevent such possible tipping of the block and associated chain links asa unit, I form the block 40 with horizontal shelves 45 adapted to engage the under face of the lug 22 on the container, at the same time that the vertical face 46V of' the block engages Ythe vertical face of the container lug, as illustrated in Fig. 3. y

It will be seen from the description given, that Y when the container rests on the support and the chain shown in Fig. 3, movesfor example, to-

i ward theleft, the block-shelf 45 comes under the lug and then the vertical surface 46 of theblock engages the vertical face of the container lug,

and then the continual movement of the chain toward the left must draw the container with -v`it rand the block cannot tip because the weight of the container and its load acting downwardly on the shelf 45 positively prevents such action.

I have accordingly, provided for an effective maintenance of the chain in co-action with the container to propel the latter even though it may be very heavy and have avery decided resistance to movement, and I relieve the chain of the abnormal tension to which it might be subjected if the block together with its associated chain links could tip.

While Fig. 3 of the drawing shows the shelf 45 in actual -contact with the bottom surface of the container lug, it is to be understood that in practice there is sufficient clearance between these parts to enable the shelf 45 to pass readily under the lug of the container.'

The container lugs may be of any suitable iorm andr carried in any described manner in the container. As shown, they are on castings;24

which are secured between iioor beams 25 of the container which carryy the i'loor 26 thereof.

I-claimt 1'. An endless propelling chain made of two 75 vtwo chain strands which are pivoted to the two links which carry the block.

2. The combination of an endless propelling chain made of two strands of overlapping links with pivot pins connecting the links of each lstrand together and joining 'the two strands and rollers embracing the pins, a substantially horizontal supporting bar for the upper reach of the chain on which said rollers rest, two opposed chain links of the two strands having extensions at substantiallyv right angles to the length of the links, blocks between said extensions rigidly secured thereto, said blocks extending from their secured region to'provide a portion to engage the shoulders of two links of the two chain strands which are pivoted to the two links which carry the block.

3. In a chain conveyor, the combination with a support of a roller-chain having means for driving it, said chain comprising two strands each composed of inner links and outer links overlapping the inner linksand transverse pins which pivotally connect 'the overlapping links of the two strands and accordingly connect the two strands together, rollers surrounding said pins and adapted to rest on longitudinal bars carried by the support, a pair of outer links which are opposite each other in the two strands hav` ing extensions which project upwardly from the upper reach oi" the chain, a block between said extensions having grooves vin its opposite faces in which the extensions lie, a'pin connecting the extensions to the block, the block extending in each direction from the grooved region length` wise of the chain and having curved surfaces on its underface adapted to engage the shoulders of the four inner links which are pivotally connectedv to the two outer links' which carry the v block.

4. A conveyor chain comprising two strands each composed of inner links and outer links overlapping the inner links and transverse pins which pivotally connect the overlapping links of the two strands and accordingly connect the two strands together, a pair of outer links which are opposite each other in the two strands having extensions which project at right angles to the body portion of such links, a block between said extensions having grooves on its opposite faces on which the extensions lie, a pin rigidly attachingl theextensions to the block, the block extending in each direction from the grooved region lengthwise of the chain and having curved sury faces on its under face adapted to engage the shoulders of the four inner links which are pivotally connected to the two outer links which carry the block.

5'. The ycombination with a support of a propelling chain thereon, 'said chain comprising two strands each composed of inner links and outer pins which pivotally connect the overlapping links of the two -strands and accordingly connect the two strands together, rollers surrounding said pins and adapted to rest on longitudinal bars carried by the support, a pair of outer links which are opposite each other in the two strands having extensions which project upwardly from the upper reach of the chain, a block between said extensions attached to them, the block extending in each direction from the attached region lengthwise of the chain and having curved surfaces on its under face adapted to engage the shoulders of the four inner links which are pivotally connected to the two outer links which carry the block, the block being formed with rabbets in its upper shoulders providing vertical and horizontal engaging surfaces.

6. In a freightl handling apparatus, the combination of an endless propelling chain, said chain being composed of two sets of outer links and two sets of inner links, the inner links overlapping the outer links, and transverse pins connecting said links, some of the outer links having upwardly extending projections and blocks mounted between said projections and pinned thereto, each block having an intermediate projecting portion and wings extending therefrom in each direction, each wing being adapted to overlap and rest on the chain in front of and behind the links to which the block is attached.

7. In a freight handling apparatus, the combination of a support, an endless chain thereon, a series of blocks permanently carried by the chain in spaced relation, each block having an intermediate projecting portion rigidly attached to a link and wings extending oppositely in the direction of the chain and adapted to bear on other links thereof than the links which carry the block, said blocks adapted to engage a container mounted on the support and having a downward projection.

8. In a freight transferring apparatus, the combination of a support, an endless chain thereon composed of two sets of inner links and two sets of outer links, the outer links overlapping the inner` links, the inner links being spaced apart, and transverse pins through the overlapping portions, each pin connecting two inner and two outer links, some of said links having projecting portions, blocks mounted between said projecting portions and permanently and rigidly pinned thereto, each block extending in each direction from its region of attachment and having curved under-faces to engage the chain adjacent four of the chain pins, whereby the blocks may not rock in either direction with reference to a lat reach of the chain, said blocks being adapted to engage a container mounted on the support and having a downward projection.

9. The combination of a support, an endless chain thereon operating in a vertical plane and having two sets of pivotally connected links with rollers between them, a horizontal bar extending lengthwise of the chain engaged by rollers between successive blocks hereinafter mentioned on the upper reach of the chain, a series of blocks secured in spaced relationship to the chain in such position that they extend upwardly from the upper reach of the chain, each block being rigidly secured to a chain link and extending longitudinally to engage links on opposite sides of the link carrying the block.

BENJAMIN F. FITCH. 

